1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to interconnections for coupling electronic and electrical devices to output power. More specifically, this invention pertains to apparatus for facilitating full utilization of a conventional power strip by multiple plug-in power adapters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The emergence of numerous electronic devices as common features of today's environment, whether the office, industry or the home, is well recognized. Common ancillary support devices often associated with the use of electronics apparatus include the "power strip" that consists of a plurality of female plug receptacles aligned longitudinally about a surface of a generally-rectangular housing and the box-like plug-in power adapter that is commonly fixed at the remote end of a conductor coupled to the device. (Note: By separating the power adapter from the electronic device, one forgoes the necessity of UL certification as well as that of equivalent non-U.S. organizations such as CSA (Canada) and CE (Europe), of the device.)
The above-mentioned ancillary devices may perform a number of functions as required by the associated electronics, including voltage step-down, rectification, surge protection and the like. Regardless of the particular functions offered, there exists an inherent incompatibility between the physical structures of common power strips and plug-in power adapters. The receptacles of a power strip function as remote sockets for plugging into the a.c. power main or source. Generally, however, the distances between adjacent female plug receptacles of conventional power strips are insufficient to permit one to plug power adapters into adjacent power strip receptacles. As a result, one can make use of only a fraction of the receptacles of a single power strip when connecting a plurality of plug-in adapters. This can greatly complicate certain applications and arrangements such as those involving numerous electronic modules located within a conventional equipment rack. Solutions such as the use of customized power strips (with increased, non-standard receptacle-to-receptacle spacings) or multiple, partially-utilized power strips of conventional design can be costly and involve the undue consumption of precious space in such applications as airborne electronics as well as fixed installations subject to high land and construction costs.